Controlling Your Opponent After You Catch Their Kick ft. Petchboonchu

When you catch your opponent’s kick, there are multiple techniques you can use to score points. The sweep is the most common method that people learn when you catch a kick. There are many types of sweeps you can perform, but the general concept of tripping your opponent after you catch their leg stays the same.

While a sweep can score you quick points on the judge’s scorecard, sometimes it is advantageous to try to control your opponent, so you can throw strikes.

It is important to remember, that you are only allowed to take two steps forward after you catch your opponent’s kick. If you try to run forward after a kick catch, that is a foul, and you can be disqualified if you hurt your opponent. While it is a foul to move forward with your opponent, you can hold your opponent’s leg and move back.

The following technique demonstrated by Petchboonchu showcases how you can control your opponent after you grab their leg.

Things to Consider

The key to this technique is controlling the back of your opponent’s neck. If you don’t have a good grip on your opponent, it will be difficult to control them.

Once you establish a grip around your opponent’s head, you have to pull down so you can off balance them. If you do not pull their head down, they will have good posture and will have good balance. Controlling the head of your opponent will make it difficult for your opponent to defend himself.

After you establish neck control, you need to circle out to the inside of your opponent and pull their neck down. This pulling motion makes it hard to stay on balance and can give you and opportunity to throw a knee, sweep, or release their leg and strike.

About The Author

In 2011, Stephen decided to move to Thailand in search of 'real' Muay Thai. After training MMA for 5 years, he wanted to focus solely on his standup striking. After gaining a few years of experience in the ring, he decided to start Muay Thai Pros with his brother Ben, to share their experiences from the land of Muay Thai. You can follow Stephen on Instagram or read about his Muay Thai journey HERE.

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Muay Thai PROS was founded by brothers Stephen and Ben who moved to Thailand in 2011 to pursue their passion for Muay Thai. Find everything from fighting, training, techniques, strategy, and fight breakdowns, on the #1 Muay Thai website online.

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